“Lila,” Matthew answered her mispronunciation of his old name, bending down and opening his arms wide as she ran headlong into them. He swept her up off the floor, her legs dangling so that her feet brushed against his knees.
“You know you don’t deserve a hug,” Lila said, teasing.
“Oh, don’t I?” Matthew said.
“No. You’ve been gone for forty-leven days and when you finally did come back, you went a whole other day without seeing me.”
“Is that so?” Matthew said, unable to defend himself.
“And the only reason you’re seeing me now is because of this big fancy feast,” she continued on with her half-serious complaint.
“Jarem and Halel,” Gavin addressed the two boys arriving behind her, both suppressing grins at their sister’s behavior despite themselves. They placed their hands on Gavin’s shoulder and nodded respectfully, giving him the traditional Welkin greeting.
Matthew set Lila down. “Well, I just didn’t want to see you until you were all dressed up,” he said, getting a comical frown in response.
“Where is your mother?” Gavin asked the children.
“She’s been working in the infirmary,” Jarem said. “She told us to come ahead on our own and she would meet us here.”
“So why didn’t you tell me you lived in a big metal ship, Hayden? Huh? Huh?” Lila continued pestering him, poking him in the stomach.
Matthew’s hands shot underneath one of her arm pits to tickle her. “Because I didn’t know, silly. I lost my memory, remember?” he said over her squealing laughter. The tickling didn’t last long, though, as her cackling drew the attention of nearly everyone around them and Matthew promptly tucked his hands behind his back. “So what do you think of this place? Is there enough room for you to run around in here without causing too much trouble?”
Lila put her hands on her hips. “That’s the problem. They won’t let me go anywhere around here.”
“You would get lost if they did,” Halel said.
“Well, I can find my way around better than you,” she quipped, grinning.
Halel huffed, but didn’t take the bait. Both he and Jarem appeared markedly older since he’d seen them last in the battle at the Basin. Lila clung to Matthew’s side to shield herself from their disapproving scowls.
“Hey, Mendigo, do you think Hayden is going to join our knit now?”
“That would be up to him,” Gavin said.
Lila looked up at Matthew expectantly, “Oh, please, Hayden, please?”
“I would love nothing more,” he said.
Lila let out a squeal of delight. “Ooo! Do I get to name you, still? Oh, please, please, please.”
“Well, I don’t know. I think I may have already had one too many names,” Matthew said.
Lila’s lower lip dropped into a pout. “But Hayden is such an awful name and that new name they said you had, I can’t even pronounce it. It sounds like a sneeze. What was it? Atchoo?”
Gavin smiled at the precocious little girl. “What name did you have in mind?”
“Um, oh, I don’t know. How about Teo?” Lila scrunched up her nose, not all that convinced about her suggestion.
Matthew chuckled. “Well, maybe,” he said. “I’ll have to think about it.”
“Come on, you owe me one!” Lila insisted, poking him again.
“Lila, are you behaving yourself?” came Senya’s voice from behind Matthew.
Matthew turned to see Senya and Sierra walking in side by side through one of the entryways, their faces aglow. Senya wore a long green dress with a dark blue kaff around her neck. Sierra was adorned in a light blue dress with a white kaff as well, though she wore hers around her waist. She had her hair pulled back in a way that Matthew had never seen before. It showed more of her kind, soft face, and accented the beauty of her high, round cheeks.
“Mama,” Lila waved at her mother. “It’s not my fault. What else am I supposed to do around all these boys? A girl’s gotta stick up for herself, you know.”
Senya gave her a cautionary look, but it was more of a gentle reproach. The two women swept across the room in their flowing dresses, each locking eyes with the man they loved.
“It’s so good to see you,” Matthew said as he embraced Sierra. Beside him, Senya and Gavin did the same.
“I wouldn’t want to miss your big moment,” Sierra said, her eyes sparkling with pride.
“Hello, Sierra.” Gavin shifted to greet her with a friendly embrace. At the same time Senya hugged Matthew tightly. It brought back memories of his time in her home in the Viscera. She had washed his face with a cool, damp cloth then, and fed him the most delicious meal he had ever tasted.
“Senya, I’ve missed you,” Matthew said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner, but I have not forgotten you.”
“You have been in my prayers,” Senya said, her eyes glistening with held back tears. “Every day.”
“Thank you,” Matthew said quietly, feeling a pull of emotion at the back of his throat and unable to say more for fear that it might break through.
“No. Thank you,” she said. “You risked your life to save us from the Wayman city and, beyond that, you saved Gavin. I will forever be grateful to you for that.” The tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
“Mama,” Lila said, tugging at her mother’s arm. “Are you going to cry this whole time?”
“Perhaps, Lila,” she said, pulling her daughter close. “Perhaps.”
Gavin wrapped his arms around both of them. “Numinae gives us strength in our weakness. Crying draws us closer to him.”
Sierra snuck her arm in behind Matthew and drew in close. “I want to thank you, too,” she said. “For protecting me. For keeping your promise even when you did not remember it.”
Matthew let out a heavy sigh. He did not deserve the love and friendship of these people, but was thankful for it all the same.
“You did just as much, if not more, for me,” he said.
“I would die for you,” she whispered in his ear.
Matthew closed his eyes and allowed himself to cherish the moment. From the far end of the room where the raised platform stood, he could sense the lights coming up to full. Around the edges of the room, more and more people were piling in. Some began looking for a seat. Soon Matthew would have to make his way up front and give his speech. It was the last thing he wanted to do. He longed to stay beside Sierra, Gavin, Senya, and the children, to keep them close for as long as he could.
He opened his eyes and gazed out over the large, semi-circular stage. He did not have all the answers. Their future was far from certain and he could not protect and love them all perfectly. Only Numinae could do that. But the mercy of his Creator was far greater than he could comprehend. He drew strength from that knowledge and from the fact that, as Gavin had said, his strength shines through in our weakness. And that was a good thing to remember in a frail and fallen world.
Epilogue
Matthew got up from the polymeric chair, the last events of the chronotrace sequence playing out around him.
“It’s hard to believe that it all happened that way,” Sierra said as she sauntered into the room. She wore a plain dress, after the fashion of the Welkin women, only hers was pearl blue and not the typical green or brown. She had just changed after coming back from the medical ward, but judging from her swollen belly, she would not be serving the sick and injured for very much longer. Matthew knew she would miss it, but he also knew she would make an even more wonderful mother than nurse, and that was saying something.
“In my mind, it’s still as if it just happened,” Matthew replied. For a memorant, everything was always fresh. It was both a blessing and a curse. “Even the parts I had forgotten and the parts where I wasn’t even conscious.”
“Why do you always start back at the Institute?” Sierra asked, coming up to him and giving him a light kiss on the cheek.
“You’re so kind to me,” he told her.
“Th
en maybe you can return the favor and answer my question.” The corners of her mouth crept up playfully.
Matthew laughed, but Sierra’s face turned serious. There was no hiding anything from her.
“I’m afraid,” he said.
“Afraid of what?”
“Afraid of going back farther,” he admitted. “I don’t like going too far back. I’m afraid I might start thinking like the old Matthew again. I like the way I am now.”
She took his hand in hers. “I found out about my past and I’m still the same person, aren’t I?”
Matthew shifted awkwardly and stared out the chamber’s window into the sea of stars. The blackened husk of Nai floated like a baleful, exposed eye beneath them, a visual scar amongst the otherwise beautiful vista. The Radix had yet to initiate its interstellar voyage. They still had not found a planet they were sure would be able to support them, but the Radix would hold them for some time yet. The stars always made him think of Will, and Zain, and all the others he had lost. He imagined that there might be a light somewhere out there in the universe for every person who had passed on to the Eversky, waiting vigilantly to transform back into a body of flesh at the end of days. In the meantime they gave light to a cold, dark universe, warming it by their memory. It was foolish fancy, he knew, but memory was a bit like that, sparks of light in a wasteland of forgetfulness, ever present and yet impossibly far away.
“Well, aren’t I the same?” Sierra repeated her question. “Matthew, don’t go wandering across the whole universe with that mind of yours again, not while your beloved wife stands before you, holding your hand.”
“Yes, you are most definitely the same person,” he said, giving up his musings. “But you did not serve with the escalons, you did not plot to start a rebellion. I’ve spoken with Farin at length about my involvement with the formation of Remnant so I already know many of the details. I’m just reluctant to go further back and find out what role I played in the Delegation’s wars. Besides, I’ve been so busy.”
Sierra gazed thoughtfully at her protruding belly. She took Matthew’s hand, guiding it to her burgeoning midsection. “But what about him? Don’t you think he will want to know who his father was? And there might be wonderful things there, too, have you ever thought of that? Maybe there are people you need to remember, more stars to sprinkle in your sky.”
A gentle warmth spread through him. He always appreciated it when she paid attention to his background thoughts. It did not come natural to her so it meant she was making an effort to understand him better.
“I suppose you’re right,” he said.
“I am always right, you know that,” she said, giggling.
“I’ll tell you what, Mrs. Right,” he placed his hands upon her shoulders and regarded her tenderly. “I’ll set the trace to go back, say, to my birth. Would that satisfy you?”
“Oh no, I want to know about your parents, too.” She laughed as he threw his hands up in response. “And your grandparents, and their parents, and their parents, and on and on and on—the whole history of your family, as far back as we’ve got power to make the chronotrace go.”
Matthew gave her nose a lighthearted tug. “You are incorrigible,” he told her. “Hopeless. I don’t know what I am going to do with you.”
“All right, I’ll compromise,” she shot back, feigning attrition. “You only have to go back to your birth…today. After that you can do one generation each day so you don’t get overwhelmed. You do have work to do after all.”
“As if I could experience my entire life in one day…well, you know what? Fine, I’ll start the trace going and we’ll see where it ends up, how about that? Do you want to stay and watch it with me? It’s only my entire life after all, but it might take a little while to get to the start and I know how you dislike waiting.”
“I’ve got the perfect idea,” she said, taking him by the hand and strolling up to the window of stars. As the two of them walked, a pair of polymeric chairs floated along behind them, obeying her mental command. When they arrived at the wide opening, the chairs settled in neatly behind them. They sat down in front of the intergalactic canvas, a vast spray of stars whose light reflected in the twinkling of her eyes. “My feet are killing me. Why don’t we sit here and wait while the trace runs its course and take in the view? It is almost as beautiful as you.”
Matthew nodded. He could think of no better way to spend the rest of the evening than gazing at the stars beside the woman he loved. The past, as far as he was concerned, could wait. Today had more than enough life of its own.
Glossary
Acretian ah-CREE-shun Stone: A stone which is poured out in liquid form. It sets quickly but can easily be formed and smoothed for some time even after it sets. It is similar in function to synth metal and char.
Almamenth AHL-muh-menth: Compound in the form of a paste which provides nutrients and strength to the user. Meant to be applied on the skin and absorbed over time into the body.
Anacite AN-uh-sight: An organic metal hybrid which is harder than iron, but light and self repairing. Grafted into the bones of escalon soldiers.
Ancillary Rim: Outermost district of Oasis.
Andros AN-drohz: Derogatory term used by members of the Collective to refer to people lacking a bioseine.
Annex: A building connected to the Institute in the central district of Oasis from which the Developers administer the esolace.
Articulator: A large, bulbous piece of equipment with dozens of retractable cables. Used for remapping operations in order to wipe people’s thoughts and manipulate their memories.
Assessors: The security force of Oasis. They have more access to control of the esolace than typical members of the Collective, but are themselves controlled by the Developers.
Atmos AT-mohs Array: This powerful battery of machines keeps the environment of Oasis at a constant level and protects it from the storms that afflict the rest of the planet.
Atol ah-TOHL: Hot, grainy drink consumed by the Werin.
Axis Prime: The central district of Oasis. This is where the Institute and the Annex are located.
Axom Field: Localized field used to attract objects from a distance.
Azanya ah-ZAHN-yuh: Large tent used for Waymen dwellings, typically housing an eclectic group of Waymen who are not necessarily related.
Bioseine BAHY-oh-sahyn: An organic augmentation grafted into the people of the Collective which regulates their health and allows them to access the esolace. It can also allow people to communicate mentally with each other even when the esolace is not present.
Bismine BIZ-mahyn: Yellowish crystals which absorb light and produce inordinate amounts of energy for their size. This is the main power source for all Oasis technology.
Blank: Term referring to someone or something without a bioseine or the ability to connect to the esolace.
Canter: Religious leader amongst the Waymen.
Celerium suh-LEER-ee-um: Mineral that is capable of increasing the power efficiency of any machine to incredible levels. It is black with blue flecks and is nearly indestructible.
Citus Axomvac: Long, narrow, two passenger ship with no offensive capabilities, but extremely fast. Used primarily for picking up and dropping off supplies or recovering downed ships with their axom field generators.
Click: Measurement of distance, roughly equivalent to about 2 km or 1.25 miles. A click is composed of a thousand spans (see ‘span’).
The Collective: Name for the general population of Oasis.
Compa COM-pah: General word of familiarity used by Welkin to refer to someone with whom they are on friendly terms.
Developers/Devs: Also called Administrators, they run and maintain the esolace and the entire Oasis infrastructure. They have control over the lives of everyone connected to the esolace.
Deton: Compound of various rocks dried together. When struck with sudden force it explodes producing a concussive effect.
Dispersion Band: A black band wo
rn about the wrist. It blocks all bioseine connections as well as all forms of energy or kinetic attacks. It also creates a distracting, shimmering screen around the wearer which prohibits memorants from reading the wearer’s thoughts, however a skilled memorant using the miasma channel can circumvent it. It can only absorb a certain amount of energy at a time, however. Concentrated streams of energy focused on it will knock it out temporarily. This device was worn by Malthus during the events of Awakening the Sentients and given to Gavin just before he died.
Disruptor: Energy weapon capable of temporarily knocking out power in ships and other devices.
Escalon EHS-kuh-lahn: Organically augmented soldiers that have accelerated metabolisms and anacite infused bones. They heal very quickly and are hard to stun except through blunt force.
Esolace E-soh-luhs: The molecular, city-wide network which connects everyone inside Oasis, allowing them access to all of the communication and informational resources of the Collective, including the ability to interface with all esolace enabled devices.
Etram: Type of stone which found in the vadis where water collects on the surface. Has a sponge-like consistency when wet, but when dry is a hard, porous rock. It draws water from underground reservoirs and dries on its own, going through cycles of moisture and desiccation.
Extractor: A small device that mimics some of the functionality of the esolace such as information storage and retrieval. Usually worn by assessors in the form of a torc about the neck.
Falon FAH-luhn: A member of the special guard assigned to protect a Reeve.
Fero FAIR-oh: A hollow metal tube, used as a club and also a horn of warning by the Welkin.
Garrick GAIR-ik: Coat with many hidden compartments typically worn by Waymen for desert travel.
Hard Link: The act of connecting to someone’s bioseine when they are unconscious.
Hogar ho-GAHR: Multi-chamber tent-like structure, used by the Welkin for living quarters.
The Chronotrace Sequence- The Complete Box Set Page 104
